Can you find me? A new sponge-like nudibranch from the genus Jorunna Bergh, 1876 (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Discodorididae)

Abstract

The nudibranch diversity of the western Indian Ocean is comparatively one of the least studied in the world. In this paper a spongelike Discodoridae nudibranch Jorunna liviae sp. nov. is described. The description is based on integrative anatomy, including molecular analysis of two genes (the mitochondrial COI and the nuclear H3), dissections, electron microscopy (SEM) of buccal elements, micro tomography of the spicule’s arrangements and ecological observations. This study provides the first ever molecular data of Jorunna species from the western Indian Ocean, helping to fill the gap to further understand this apparent paraphyletic genus.